Street-sweeper.



F. A. LAMBERT.

STREET SWBBPBR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.4,1913.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

F. A. LAMBERT'.

STREET SWEEPBR.

APPLICATION Hum Nov.4, 191s.

1,1 18,559. Patented 11011.24, 1914.

Z SEEBTB-BHEET 2.

fin/Pen 747'.'

\ EEED A. LAMBERT, or LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

` sTEEET-swEErEa.`

i Application filed` November 4 T all 'whom it may concern i Be it knownthat I, FRED A. LAMBERT,

i citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lawrence, in thecountyof Essex `and Stateof `Massachusetts7 have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Street- Sweepers, of which the following is aspecication.

This `invention relates to machines for sweeping the streets, and refersparticularly to power driven machines. y One of theobjects oftheinvention is to providean efficient machine of low initial cost andeconomical in operation, having means whereby theentire control of theinachine, including gathering and dumpingthe sweepings, may be effectedby one` operator riding on themachine. y y

A `further object `is to provide a1 machine which has no rapidly movingbrush tostir up dust, but which will gather the dirt and deposit it in ahopper without scattering it. To these ends the invention consistsin theimprovements which I shall now proceed to describe and claim. A i l Oftthe accompanying drawings: Figure 1* is a side elevation of a machineembodying my improvements, parts being broken out or in section; Fig.` 2is an elevation, partly in section, of the rear drivino axle and some ofthe parts eoperating therewith; F ig."` 3 represents a section on line3-3 of Fig. 1; Figa is adetail view of the supplemental or gutter brush.1 y

Similar reference characters indicatethe same or similar parts in all ofthe views.

Themainportion ofthe body or frarneof the machine is'indicated at 10,said body be-1 ing supported` upon front and rear axles 11,` 12, throughthe medium of suitablesprings 13. 111 respectively.

Mounted upon the body is a casing 15 for storage batteries, a seat 16for the operator, which may have a suitablehood above it,` being mountedupon the batterycasing.

The machine has but a single rear wheel 17, said wheel being the`driving wheel `and having `a hub 1S loosely mounted upon the rear axle12. Secured to the `other sideof the wheel 17 is a ring or drum 19havingfan externally smooth periphery for a brake Specification ofLetters Patent.

,` 1913. serial No; 799,139.

band, and a taperingiinner surface, as indicated in Fig.-2, toconstitute a clutch member, as hereinafter described. This ring or drumalso carries sprocket teeth ,20 connected by a sprocket chain 21 with asmall sprocket `wheel drivenby an electric motor 22, the latter havingsuitable electric connections (not shown) with the' source of electricalenergy in thecasing 15.

Connected to the front axle 1l by swing-` ing connections or yokes suchas arecom- Patented Nov. 24,1914-1 mon in automobiles, arc two wheels23, said wheels` having the customary automobile steering connectionswith a rod 24, the rear end of said rod being `connected to an arm 25 ofa steering post 26 having a hand wheel 2'( in accessibleproximity to theseat 16. The steeringpost is hollow;` as is common in automobileconstructions, and within said post is a rod or `vertical rockshafn thelower end of which is indicated at 28 in Figul.

The upper end oi said rod is provided with a handle 29, and the lowerendof the rod 1s connected by means of a suitable link 20 with any suitableswitch to control the motor 22. A

A brake band 31 upon the ring or drum 19 has one end rigidly secured toa suitable part of the body, the other end being connected by a rod 32(Fig. l) with the lower end of a lever 33, said lever having a footpiece whereby it may be actuated by the operator to tighten the bandupon the brake drum.

`As indicated in Fig. 2, the axle 12 carries two sprocket wheels 34which, as hereinafter described, are connected bysprocket chains withthe mainor sweeping brush druln. A

cone clutehincmber 35 having a hub 36 cooperates with the internalclutch face 37 of thering or drum 19, said `hub 36 having a splinedconnection with the axle 12, as lndicated atl'BS in Fig; 2. Said hub36has col` larsor Vflanges 39 between which a fork 40` eta verticalrockshaft 41 engages, said rockshatt having an arm l2 connected by alink 43 with a lever 44 (Fig. 1) pivoted to the frame and having itsupper end in conven-` ient position to be worked by .theoperator on theseat k16. i Salitable` locking segments may? be employed in connectionwith the levers and 44. A spring 45 is confined between a collar 46secured on the axle 12 and the end of the clutch hub 36, said springhaving a tendency to keep the clutch inembers normally in engagement,the operator, by means of the lever 44, shifting the clutch memberawayfrom engagement with the clutch face 37 when it is desired to stopthe sweeping operation, without stopping the entire machine.

The main brush drum 47, having any suitable brush material, has itsshaft or trunnions 4S mounted in a vertically movable frame 49 which issupported by the body 10 through the medium of springs 50 to permit saidframe to yield either when the sweeper is passing over irregularsurfaces or when it is desired to raise the brush drum as hereinafterdescribed. The frame 49is connected by adjustable struts 51 with therear axle 12, and said frame has forwardly projecting` arms 52 whichsupport the shaft or truni nions 53 of a roll or drum 54, upon which ismounted an endless conveyer 55, the upper end of said conveyer beingsupported `upon an upper roll ordrum 56 which is mounted inside of ahopper 57 that is supported by the body 10.

As shown in Fig. 3, one of the arms 52 has a straight extension 5S andthe other has aninwardly projecting-eXtension 59 the forward end ofwhich is offset inwardly so that it stands in front of the main brush 47and over the path thereof. Mounted in bearings in the forward ends ofthe eXtensions 58, 59 is a. shaft 60 having a tapering or conc-shapedgutter brush 61. The outer end of the brush 61 extends sufficiently faroutside of the path of the brush 47 to gather up gutter dirt. The innerend of the gutter brush is located over the path of the main brush, theformation of the gutter brush being, as hereinafter described, such asto throw the gutter dirt or sweepings forward into the path of the brush47.

l will now describe the means whereby the brushes and the conveyer areoperated. Sprocket chains 62 connect `the sprocket wheels 34 on axle 12with sprocket wheels 63 on', shaft 53 of the conveyer, the upperstretches of the chains 62 engaging the unnder sides of sprocket wheels64 secured to the shaft 48 of the main brush. Consequently, as ythemachine moves forwardly, the main brush 47 rotates in the direction ofthe arrow in Fig. 1 while the conveyer rotates in thevdirectionindicated by arrows in said ligure. The speed of revolution of the brush47 is not rapid, and consequently little or no dust is stirred up. It isfast enough however to force the dirt forward so as to be gathered up-bythe conveyer 55 and by the latter deposited in the hopper 57.

A crossed sprocket chain or belt 65 con- It is desirable that the frame49 and the parts supported thereby shall be capable of being lifted awayfrom the surface of the street, so that the machine can be transportedconveniently from place to place by its own power without performing anysweeping operation. To this end suitable ears 68 of the arms 52 areconnected by links 69 with arms 70 of a rock-shaft 71 mounted on thebody 10, said yrockshaft having a lever arm 72 in accessible proximityto the seat 16, said ,lever having a handle 73. A toothed segment 74. isengaged by a catch 75 pivoted to the lever 72 and connected by a link 76with a. tripping grip 77. This structure enables the operator, bygrasping the members 73, 77, to rock the shaft 71 and through the links69 lift the entire frame 49 to such height as may be desirableto preventcontact of the brushes with the surface of the street, release of themembers 7 3, 77 then causingthe catch` 75 to lock the parts in theirraised positions. In order that the vhopper may be dumped or relieved ofits contents whenever desired, said hopper is provided with a door 7 8hinged at 79 and having secured to it a cross rod 80. The ends of thecross rods engage slots 81 in the arms 82of a rockshaft 83 mounted inthe body 10.l One of the arms 82 is connected by a link v84 with a lever85 pivoted o n the rockshaft- 71 and havinga handle ,86, a catch 87, a`link 88, and a tripping grip 89. Goperating with the catch S7 is atoothed segment by the side of and similarto the toothed segment 74.

To prevent the dirt which is deposited the hopper from escaping throughthe open ing which admits the endless conveyer, I provide a partition orshield 90.

1n order that the endless conveyer may not slacken rwhen its lower shaftmoves or swings upwardly from t-hel street surface, as hereinbeforeexplained,l I connect the shaft 53 with the Ishaft of the upper conveyerroll 56 by-means of 4tie rods 91, the trunnions or shaftof .theupperdrum 56 being guided in slots 92 formed in suitablel partsof the body orbrackets con.- nected to said body. y

By the employment of but one rear drive ing wheel, I not only reduce thecost of the machine by dispensing with one of the usual four wheelsemployed, but I also enable the machineto accommodate itself better tolateral inequalities of the surface being swept. By placing the devicesfor con-` trolling the motor, the steering, the clutch and the brake andthe hopper dumping devices all within reachof a person 'on the.

seat 116,-.-thefmachinefis capable `ofmbeing controlled by one operator`not only to sweep but also deliver the dirt from the hopper Asindicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the brush or bristle material of thecone-shaped brush 6l is spirally arranged, the spiral extending in suchdirection that as said brush revolves, it will tend to draw the dirtfrom the gutter close to the curbing, away `from the extreme gutter orcurbing to position where it will be acted upon by the main brush anddelivered to the conveyer. `The main reason for `constructing the brushGl in the form of a cone is so that it may conform better to the slopeor incline of the surface of the street pavement, which of course isdeeper adjacent the curbing than elsewhere.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A street sweeper' comprising a body, a motor-drivenrear axle, a brushand drumc-.arrying frame mounted to move vertically on the body in:advance ofthe rear axle, means for vertically adjusting said frame, abrush and a lower conveyer drum journaled side by side in bearings onsaid frame, an upper conveyer drum above the body, an endless conveyormounted on said drums, connections between the said upper drum and theframe whereby the upper drum is caused to move vertically with the frameand with the lower drum to maintain the endless conveyer under tension,driving connections between the lower drum, the brush, and the rearaxle` organized to rotate the brush and drum simultaneously in oppositedirections, and means movable with the frame for supportingI it againstbackward displacement.

2. A street sweeper comprising a body, a motor-drivenrear axle,` a brushand drumcarrying frame mounted to move `vertically on the body inadvance of the rear axle, means for vertically adjusting said frame, abrush and a lower conveyer drum journaled side by side in bearings onsaid frame, an upper conveyer drum above the body, an endless conveyermounted on said drums, connections betweenthe said `upper drum and theframe wherebythe upper drum is caused..to 1nove 'vertically with theframe and with `theilower drum to maintain the endless conveyer `undertension, drivingconr nections `between the lower drum, the brush,

brush and drumsimultaneously in opposite directions, and verticallyswinging struts pivoted to the rear axle and to the shaft of and therear axle organized to rotate the the brushto support the frameagainstibackward displacement.`

3. `Astreet sweeperlcomprising a body,\a

motor-drivencrear axle, a brush andrdrumcarrying' frame mounted to movevertically on the bodyin""advance of the `rear axle, means forvertically adjusting said frame, a brush `and a lower conveyer drumjournaled side by side in bearings on said frame,

an upper conveyer drum above the body, an`

endless conveyer mounted on said drums,

connections between the said `upper drum" and the frame whereby theupper drum is caused to move vertically with the framey and with thelower drum to maintain the endless conveyer under tension, the rearaxle, the brush and the lower drum being` provided with sprocket wheels,sprocket chains engaged with the wheels on the said axle and drum torotate the drum in the same direction as the` axle, and with the wheelson the brush to rotate the latter in the opposite direction, and meansfor supporting the frame against backward displacement. y

4L. `A street sweeper comprisinga body, a motor-driven rear axle havingsprocket wheels,\a frame mounted to slide vertically on the body inadvance of the rear axle and having forwardlyprojecting arms, a brushjournaled in said. frame and having sprocket wheels, a lower conveyerdrum journaled in said arms and having sprocket wheels, chains `engagedwith the sprocket wheels on the rear axle and with the sprocket wheelson the brush and conveyer drum to simultaneously rotate said brush anddrum in opposite directions, means for vertically adjusting the frame,an upper conveyer` drum above the` body, tie rods connecting the upperand lower conveyer drums, an endless conveyer engaged with said drums,means for vertically adjustingthe frame, the brush and the conveyer, andswinging struts connecting the rear axle with the frame. y

5. A street sweeper comprising a body, a motor-driven rear` axle having`sprocket wheels,a frame mounted to slide vertically on the body andhaving forwardly projecting arms, a mainl brush journaled in said frameand having sprocket wheels, a lower conveyer drum, journaled in saidarms and having sprocket wheels, chains connecting the sprocket wheelson the rear axle, `the main brush` and the lower drum to simul-`taneously rotate said brush and drum in `opforwardly projecting,extensions, one of which has its forward end oset inwardly and locatedin front of the main brush, and over the path thereof, a brush shaftjournaled in the forward ends of said eXtensions and having a laterallyprojecting gutter brush, one end of which is outside and the other endinside the path of the main brush, said gutter brush being formed tomove its sweepings into the path of the main brush, and drivingconnections between the gutter brush shaft and the lower` oonVeyer drum.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, 1n presence of twowitnesses.

FREDA; LAMBERT.

Witnesses A. W. HARRISON, D. L. CLARK.

y Copies @2E @is patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

